


I Think I've Broken Something

by Summerwolf



Series: Whumptober 2020 [12]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Awesome May Parker (Spider-Man), Broken Bones, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Injury, May Parker is the best, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Precious Peter Parker, Protective May Parker (Spider-Man), Scared Peter Parker, Supportive May Parker (Spider-Man), Whumptober 2020, Worried May Parker (Spider-Man), broken trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:28:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26978125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Summerwolf/pseuds/Summerwolf
Summary: Whumptober day 12 - Broken Bones, Broken Trust.---He’d been happy, he’d been proud, he’d been spider man, and he’d felt like nothing could bring him down.Which was exactly when something did bring him down.A misplaced web, a new formula, a long drop, a searing pain.
Relationships: May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Whumptober 2020 [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946926
Comments: 2
Kudos: 50
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	I Think I've Broken Something

Peter had always loved being Spiderman. Sure, it had freaked him out for a little while, especially when he’d first gotten his powers, but he’d always loved the way he could help people, he loved the adrenaline he got from swinging between buildings, and the feeling of invincibility which filled him when he zoomed around the city higher than he had ever imagined he’d be able to get on his own. He knew he wasn’t invincible, knew that he could be killed just as easily as a normal person, but when swinging around it was like the rest of the world just melted away and it was him, the sky, and an infinite future.

Nothing had ever felt so amazing, and so fulfilling, and so perfect, as being Spiderman felt.

But then… one day… just two months ago, it had all gone wrong. So so wrong.

It hadn’t been a mission, or an enemy attack, or anything bad actually. It had just been Peter having fun, enjoying his powers, celebrating what he had and just taking the chance to be a kid again. Tony was there, the sky was clear, the city was quiet, all things considered it was a pretty perfect day. Peter enjoyed his life most of the time, but he never really noticed it, however that had definitely been one of those times where he was just enjoying his life, and thinking about how much he was enjoying it. He’d been happy, and for the rest of his life, that’s what he would remember started it.

He’d been happy, he’d been proud, he’d been spider man, and he’d felt like nothing could bring him down.

Which was exactly when something did bring him down.

A misplaced web, a new formula, a long drop, a searing pain.

Peter couldn’t believe what had happened, he’d never fallen before, never even got close, but the pain in his leg was unmistakable and the fact he was on the floor instead of three stories up really said a lot. He was lucky to have only gained a broken leg, a bad landing from that height and anything less than superhuman sturdiness and he would have died from that drop.

“Peter? Kid are you okay?” Tony asked, terror filling his eyes as he climbed out of his suit and reached for Peter. He had seen him fall, had tried to catch him before he hit the ground, but he’d been too far away after checking out a suspicious noise, and he hadn’t had the chance to reach him before he hit the ground.

“I think I’ve broken something,” Peter winced, trying not to move his leg too much just in case the searing pain from just moments earlier came back. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to do any Spidermanning anytime soon.”

“That’s alright, we can make sure to keep Queens safe while you are resting up.” Tony nodded, reaching out to scoop Peter into his arms and fly him back to the med bay. Bruce put his leg in plaster, told him to be careful for the next couple of weeks, and then sent him home.

End of story.

Except… not really.

He spent the entire time he had to rest desperately waiting for his leg to heal up, waiting for him to be allowed out of plaster and allowed back to Spidermanning, he probably annoyed the hell out of May the amount of times he asked her if he was healed yet, even though logically that he definitely wasn’t healed yet, just like he hadn’t been ten minutes ago, or three days before that.

But then the day finally arrived, and Peter pulled his suit and climbed onto the roof… but then he stopped. A sudden fear had gripped him tight, causing butterflies to dance in his stomach and ice to freeze his blood.

He was too high up, he was going to fall again, the pain would be back.

He couldn’t do it.

He turned around, pulled his suit off, and headed into the living room, trying to forget what had just happened. Trying to pretend that everything was fine.

“Oh hello Peter!” May smiled as she walked into the room, dropping her keys into the bowl by the door and she hung her coat up. She was just back from work, and seemed surprised to see Peter. “I expected you to be out Spidermanning now your cast is off.”

“Oh, yeah,” Peter muttered, realising that even thinking about it was enough to freeze him up just a little bit. Hopefully not enough for May to notice. “I just thought I hadn’t seen you in a while,” he shrugged, only feeling slightly bad for lying. He really did want to see more of May, and the chance to avoid the height of Spidermanning was just an advantage. “I figured we could spend some time together.”

“Not that I don’t appreciate the sentiment,” May said slowly as she sat down next to Peter, “But we’ve spent most of our time together over the last few weeks, you’re not here because you want to spend time with me. What’s really going on huh?”

Peter sighed. He should have known that May would see right through him, she did pretty much raise him after all. “Would you believe me if I insisted it was nothing?”

“Not in the slightest.”

Peter sighed again, leaning backwards and pulling his previously injured leg up to his chest, hugging it tightly. “I tried to go,” he said, his voice shaky and little more than a whisper, “I just- I couldn’t.”

“You couldn’t?” May echoed back, lightly laying a hand on Peter’s shoulder.

“I got scared, I just froze up,” he hiccupped, tears streaming down his face, “I- it was like I’ve lost all the trust in myself, lost trust in my ability to catch myself.”

“That’s normal Peter,” May promised, pulling him into a tight hug, “the trick is to work through it anyway, even though you are scared, because if you don’t the fear just gets worse, and Peter, I know you love being Spiderman. Somethings are worth ignoring your fear for.”

“But what if I broke more than just my leg? What if I can’t get what I had before back?” Peter asked, his voice shaking with panic. He wanted to be Spiderman, wanting to keep what he had before, but also felt like he could never get there again, like his world would never be the same again, like it was shattered beyond repair.

“Then you find a new normal, and you don’t stop until it’s a normal you want.” May talked like it was the easiest thing possible, like it didn’t involve ripping the rug from under his own feet.

“Okay,” he whispered. He was terrified, but he also knew it was the only choice he really had. The only one he wouldn’t regret for the rest of forever, and more importantly, the only one which wouldn’t result in him feeling like he had failed. “I can do this.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!!  
> I hope you enjoyed!!  
> Have an awesome week!!


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